Issue - meetings

Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) weight restriction orders are made by the council as part of Surrey’s network management responsibilities. This report sets out the challenges involved with the current enforcement process and seeks agreement for a new HGV Weight Restriction Enforcement Policy ‘HGV Watch’ that will empower local communities and make the best use of the resources available for this task within the police and council services.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

RESOLVED:

1. That the HGV Weight Restriction Enforcement Policy in the form of the ‘Surrey HGV watch’ is adopted;
   
   
2. That agreement of the detailed operational policy is delegated to the Director for Highways and Transport in consultation with Surrey Police and the Cabinet Member for Highways;

3. That twice yearly progress reports are provided to the Cabinet Member for Highways;

4. That support for a change in Government policy to allow councils outside London to enforce moving traffic offences by camera to help improve road safety, reduce congestion and protect the environment is endorsed.

Reason for decision:

The recommendations above will enable the council to help achieve some of its Community Vision 2030 objectives, including that:

• Residents live in clean, safe and green communities, where people and organisations embrace their environmental responsibilities; and

• Journeys across the county are easier, more predictable and safer.

In addition, as part of our organisational strategy, Surrey County Council wants to work in partnership with residents, businesses, partners and communities to collectively meet challenges and grasp opportunities. A new HGV Watch policy that helps enforce HGV weight restrictions could encourage residents to be proactive in their local areas in working with the council and the police in tackling the environmental impacts that inappropriate HGV movements have on our communities.

An HGV watch scheme will help focus the resources available to the police and council for the enforcement of HGV restrictions in the most effective way and in a way that will have the greatest impact on driver awareness and potentially compliance.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Highways stating that the report set out the challenges that were involved with the current enforcement of HGVs and the proposal to set up a new enforcement policy called ‘HGV watch’ which would allow local communities to feel empowered and make best use of resources within the council and police. The HGV watch scheme would help focus the resources available to the police and council for the enforcement of HGV restrictions in the most effective way and in a way that would have the greatest impact on driver awareness and compliance. The Cabinet Member described how the enforcement would work with offences being committed. There were 29 structural and 62 environmental HGV weight restriction on the Surrey road network. Both Trading Standards and Surrey Police were supportive of the new policy. It was explained that Chobham Parish Council had established a HGV Watch scheme in September 2020 which had been very successful and had seen lower reoffending rates.

Cabinet Members welcomed the new policy commenting that it would empower local communities and that there were many residents who would look forward to taking part in this. Both the Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning and Cabinet Member for Resources and Corporate Support welcomed the scheme, explaining that they represented rural areas with smaller roads and know of residents who would like to be involved with the scheme.

RESOLVED:

1. That the HGV Weight Restriction Enforcement Policy in the form of the ‘Surrey HGV watch’ is adopted;
   
   
2. That agreement of the detailed operational policy is delegated to the Director for Highways and Transport in consultation with Surrey Police and the Cabinet Member for Highways;

3. That twice yearly progress reports are provided to the Cabinet Member for Highways;

4. That support for a change in Government policy to allow councils outside London to enforce moving traffic offences by camera to help improve road safety, reduce congestion and protect the environment is endorsed.

Reason for decision:

The recommendations above will enable the council to help achieve some of its Community Vision 2030 objectives, including that:

• Residents live in clean, safe and green communities, where people and organisations embrace their environmental responsibilities; and

• Journeys across the county are easier, more predictable and safer.

In addition, as part of our organisational strategy, Surrey County Council wants to work in partnership with residents, businesses, partners and communities to collectively meet challenges and grasp opportunities. A new HGV Watch policy that helps enforce HGV weight restrictions could encourage residents to be proactive in their local areas in working with the council and the police in tackling the environmental impacts that inappropriate HGV movements have on our communities.

An HGV watch scheme will help focus the resources available to the police and council for the enforcement of HGV restrictions in the most effective way and in a way that will have the greatest impact on driver awareness and potentially compliance.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69